"Of course, Christian Eriksen is so important for us. As a manager you would like to have this type of player with you, but in the end it's a negotiation.

"It would be fantastic if Christian commits with the club for a long time. If not, it's his right to do what he wants to do.

"He is happy here, he is showing his commitment. Then, what is going to happen between him and the club is not only in our hands."

Fellow midfielder Mousa Dembele has long been linked with an exit and appears far from certain to see out the season with Spurs.

Dembele, sidelined since November by an ankle injury, returned to training alongside Jan Vertonghen (thigh) on Thursday, but Pochettino was unable to guarantee the 31-year-old would remain at the club beyond the end of the January transfer window.

"I don't know," the Argentine said. "That is going to be a club decision, of course involved with the player and the people that are with him.

"At the moment I don't have any news. In that business there are different parties that are involved. Then it is about negotiating, talking, and seeing what the different parties want."

Dembele and Vertonghen will both miss Spurs' FA Cup clash with Tranmere Rovers on Friday as they work towards full fitness, while Erik Lamela is to sit out through illness.